The present invention relates to a stacking device for rod-like or board-shaped goods, with stacking carts traveling vertically on upright stands. Horizontally traveling support arms and parallel-guided revolving engaging members having fixed stops are provided; these engaging members receive the goods at the rear side of the upright stand and deposit them on the storage area located on top of the upright stands.
Stacking devices of this type are known from German Pat. Nos. 1,191,296, 1,235,808, 2,445,536 and 2,553,724. By means of these known stacking devices, the goods are transported vertically upwards by an engaging member on the rear side of the upright stands and are deposited individually on the storage area on the top side of the stands and taken along by the next following engaging member by means of its fixed stop for further transport. The further transport of the goods takes place on the front side of the stands. Here the individual piece is conveyed downward till it is deposited on the extended support arms of the stacking cart and moved over individually to form a stack row. As soon as a stack row has reached the desired width, the support arms are retracted and the stacking carts are moved vertically by the height of one stack row whereupon the support arms are extended again to form the next stack row.
It was found that the working speed of these known stacking devices, particularly the speed of the engaging members around the stands, depends on the time required for changing layers, that is, on the time required for retracting the support arms, lifting the stacking carts and re-extending the support arms. Since, during this time interval, depositing of the goods on the support arms is not possible, the speed of the engaging members must be set so that no goods are deposited during this interval.
Another disadvantage of the known stacking devices is that the engaging members project from the stands on the front side also and may be jammed by falling pieces, causing breakage, particularly in the joints between the engaging members and the chains carrying them.
Another disadvantage is that the stands must be relatively tall so that the goods can be conveyed via magazines for spacer bars which might be directly attached to the stacking carts and are traveling vertically with them.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stacking device of the above-mentioned type where the speed of the engaging members can be adjusted independently of the change of layers and hence can be increased in comparison with conventional stacking devices where the hazard of jamming the engaging members during the downward movement is avoided and where a lower construction height is possible.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a stacking arrangement, of the foregoing character, which is substantially simple in construction and may be economically fabricated.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement, as described, which may be readily maintained in service and which has a substantially long operating life.